The truism that people eat with their eyes has never been more self-evident in this age where practically no restaurant meal is consumed before it is photographed and fed down the hungry gullets of social media.

I used to find the practice of sharing photos of my food and drink unsavory. And now I’m one of the people I used to loathe — a slave to the filters and editing tools that will make my juicy morsels and icy libations pop. My Instagram posts are 99 percent food; my Facebook feed, too, is almost all food and cocktail related. My iPhone and I are always on the lookout for the next glossy beef rib, overstuffed burger, Jordan almond-colored doughnut and sweat-beaded cocktail coupe.

Luckily, I live and work in a city that’s equally obsessed with what it eats and drinks. The Houston foodies who Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest their pinup meals are legion. And they have a lot to work with. Houston’s ridiculously varied food scene means there’s always some new dumpling, taco, poke bowl or ice cream sandwich ready for its close-up. Here are some of the categories where local restaurants and bars shine on social media:

Buzzy newbies: Anything new is automatically covered, but if it has a hot chef or concept, even better. That means you, UB Preserv from James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd; anything at Tilman Fertitta’s fabulous playground at The Post Oak; the gilt-edged contingent at Nobu; all the pushing and shoving to get into Calle Onze; and Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, because, well, who doesn’t like Memphis hot and crunchy?

The young and the restless: Anywhere pretty young people (and pretty drunk people) are dying to get into and pound a few is always good fodder for posts. Drinking the night away at Present Company, Truck Yard, Rodeo Goat, Victor or Pitch 25 Beer Park is cause for celebration.

Where the elite meet: Never underestimate the sway expensive meals have on social media. We may not have a Benjamin to drop on a steak and martini dinner but we love looking at pictures of those who do. And their playground would be places such as Steak 48, BCN Taste & Tradition, State of Grace and the power lunch (and equally power dinner) at the posh beefateria B&B Butchers & Restaurant.

Greg Morago was a features editor and reporter for The Hartford Courant for 25 years before joining the Houston Chronicle as food editor in 2009. He writes about food, restaurants, spirits, travel, fashion and beauty. He is a native Arizonan and member of the Pima tribe of the Gila River Indian Community.